THE RISK MODEL OF DEVELOPING SCHIZOPHRENIA BASED ON TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTER

Introduction: Cloninger\u27s psychological model of temperament and character confirms that the personality development is influenced by biological and psychological processes. The aim of this study is to examine personality dimensions and to determine which variable separates the healthy from the ill in the best way and could be a possible psychological marker for the presence of the illness. Methods: This research included 152 subjects, 76 patients with schizophrenia and 76 healthy controls, selected on the basis of medical interviews, random population sampling model from a wider social community using the independent T-Tests. The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), which compared personality traits of the patients with schizophrenia and the healthy control group, was used. Dependence of variables in these categories was assessed using the Chi-square and Fisher\u27s tests, and the impact of variables on schizophrenia was tested using univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression. The same method was used for making the mathematical model. Results: Unlike the control group, patients with schizophrenia exhibited higher Harm avoidance (HA) and Self - transcendence (ST) scores as well as lower Self - directedness (SD) and Cooperativeness (C) scores. Multivariate binary logistic regression showed that Responsibility, Purposefulness, Resourcefulness, Cooperativeness and Compassion dimensions were significantly more present in the patients with schizophrenia. The new variable Model (area=0.896, p<0.0005) is composed of five TCI parameters. It proved to be a reliable marker for separation the healthy from the ill ones (area=0.896, p<0.0005). It has a good sensitivity (80%) and specificity (84%). Conclusions: Research has emphasized variables in the temperament and character inventory, which are the best markers for distinguishing between the healthy and the ill, thus making the mathematical model

Association between Vitamin D and Cognitive Deficiency in Alcohol Dependence

There are still not enough findings to elucidate how exactly alcohol use impairs cognitive abilities. Some studies have shown that there is a link between alcohol intake and vitamin D levels, but these findings are inconsistent so further research is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum vitamin D levels and cognitive impairment in alcohol-dependent individuals. A case-control study was carried out including a total of N = 132 respondents with a medical history of alcoholism, and healthy volunteers. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCa) and Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) screening tools were used for cognitive status assessment and serum vitamin D levels analysis (blood samples of respondents). Significant difference (p = 0.022), was found in vitamin D levels in the alcohol-dependent group with cognitive deficiency 13.7 ± 9.4 (ng/mL), alcohol-dependent group without cognitive deficiency 19.5 ± 11.2 (ng/mL) and healthy controls 19.9 ± 11.1 (ng/mL), respectively. Furthermore, vitamin D levels were significantly different across all groups based on MoCa (p = 0.016) and ACE-R (p = 0.004) scores. All three groups exhibited vitamin D deficiency. A significant correlation was found between vitamin D deficiency and cognitive impairment, but it yielded no significant difference in alcohol-dependent individuals

2nd EPA Academia Summer School: a unique experience

status: accepte

Treatment of peripartum depression with antidepressant and other psychotropic medications: a synthesis of clinical practice guidelines in Europe

This study examined (1) the availability and content of national CPGs for treatment of peripartum depression, including comorbid anxiety, with antidepressants and other psychotropics across Europe and (2) antidepressant and other psychotropic utilization data as an indicator of prescribers’ compliance to the guidelines. We conducted a search using Medline and the Guidelines International Network database, combined with direct e-mail contact with national Riseup-PPD COST ACTION members and researchers within psychiatry. Of the 48 European countries examined, we screened 41 records and included 14 of them for full-text evaluation. After exclusion of ineligible and duplicate records, we included 12 CPGs. Multiple CPGs recommend antidepressant initiation or continuation based on maternal disease severity, non-response to first-line non-pharmacological interventions, and after risk-benefit assessment. Advice on treatment of comorbid anxiety is largely missing or unspecific. Antidepressant dispensing data suggest general prescribers’ compliance with the preferred substances of the CPG, although country-specific differences were noted. To conclude, there is an urgent need for harmonized, up-to-date CPGs for pharmacological management of peripartum depression and comorbid anxiety in Europe. The recommendations need to be informed by the latest available evidence so that healthcare providers and women can make informed, evidence-based decisions about treatment choices

Equal access for all? Access to medical information for European psychiatric trainees

Access to medical information is important as lifelong scientific learning is in close relation with a better career satisfaction in psychiatry. This survey aimed to investigate how medical information sources are being used among members of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees. Eighty-three psychiatric trainees completed our questionnaire. A significant variation was found, and information availability levels were associated with training duration and average income. The most available sources were books and websites, but the most preferred ones were scientific journals. Our findings suggest that further steps should be taken to provide an equal access to medical information across Europe. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Psychiatry Trainees' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Training in Addiction Psychiatry-A European Survey

Background: Although psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUDs) are a domain of mental health, addiction psychiatry is only formally recognized as a subspecialty in a few European countries, and there is no standardized training curriculum. Methods: A 76-item questionnaire was developed and disseminated through an online anonymous data-collecting system and hand-to-hand amongst psychiatric trainees from the 47 European countries of the Council of Europe plus Israel and Belarus. Results: 1,049/1,118 psychiatric trainees from 30 European countries completed the questionnaire. Fifty-nine-point nine percent of trainees stated to have training in addictions. Amongst the trainees who described having training in addictions, 43% documented a not well-structured training and 37% an unsatisfactory training, mainly due to poor acquired knowledge. Overall, 97% of trainees stated that addiction represents a core curriculum for their training. Overall, general adult psychiatric trainees reported a better knowledge in addictions, compared to trainees in child and adolescent psychiatry. Conclusion: Despite a growing spread of PSUDs in European countries, addiction psychiatry is a relatively poorly trained field within psychiatry training programs. Further research should investigate reasons for poor training and timings of the educational activities to optimize experiential education training in addiction psychiatry.Peer reviewe